Low cost ionizer



June 23, 1964 T. A. RICH LOW COST IONIZER Filed July 10, 1961 MIXQQE Q /20 240 V-vous y m e W? n a wmw me w er. vo/ A 8 United States Patent 3,138,740 LOW COST IONIZER Theodore A. Rich, Scotia, N.Y., assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Filed July 1961, Ser. No. 122,777 2 Claims. (Cl. 317-4) The present invention relates to a low cost ionizer.

More specifically, the invention relates to a low cost ionizer for use in the home or offlce where it is desired to produce an abundance of ions in the atmosphere.

From observation it has been determined that an abundance of ions in the atmosphere of a particular locality has a definite physiological effect on human beings in that vicinity. For example, within a closed room a number of individuals have observed marked effects in their reactions when an ion source capable of producing an abundance of negative ions is introduced into the room. The introduction of the abundance of negative ions into the room air appears to have an exhilarating effect on an occupant of the room. Since this reaction is sufliciently marked to be observed by a number of individuals, it was deemed desirable to make available a device for producing an abundance of ions in a room which would be relatively inexpensive and cheap to operate.

It is therefore a primary object of this invention to provide a low cost room ionizer which is inexpensive to operate, and which is able to produce an abundance of ions in a good size room.

In practicing the invention a low cost ionizer is provided which comprises an electrically conductive flame sustaining member and a hollow insulating supporting base member having an electrically conductive base, which is adapted to be grounded. The flame sustaining member is physically positioned on the supporting base, and a plurality of electric batteries are secured within the hollow supporting member and connected in series circuit relationship between the electrically conductive flame sustaining member and the conductive base so that a difference in potential exists between the flame produced by the flame sustaining member and the conductive base. In one particular species of the invention, this charged flame source comprises a candle having an electrically conductive wick. In another particular species of the invention, the flame source comprises an alcohol lamp.

Other objects, features and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will be appreciated more readily as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description, when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a sectional view of a low cost ionizer constructed in accordance with the invention in the form of an alcohol lamp;

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view of a second low cost ionizer which is fabricated in the form of a candle having an electrically conductive wick; and

FIGURE 3 is a plot showing the potential versus output ion current for a low cost ironizer such as that shown in FIGURE 1.

The particular low cost ionizer shown in FIGURE 1 of the drawings is comprised by an electrically conductive flame sustaining member 11 which, in fact, constitutes an alcohol lamp base that produces a reservoir for a non-noxious fuel such as alcohol, and which is fabricated from brass or other electrically conductive material. The conductivity required in the application is extremely small so that materials not normally considered to be conductive may also be suitable to set up an electrostatic field essentially similar to that which would exist with the conductive surfaces here specified. A wick 13 is secured to the top end of the lamp base 11 and sustains a flame "Ice 14 at the end supported in air. Lamp base 11 has an electrically conductive base portion 15 which is supported on a hollow insulating supporting member 16 that, in turn, has an electrically conductive base portion 17. A plurality of electric batteries shown at 18, which preferably com prise dry cell batteries, are connected in electrical series circuit relationship between the conductive base 17 of the alcohol lamp and the conductive base 15 of the supporting member 11. If desired, a variable resistor U and an on-off switch 26 (shown schematically in FIG. '1) may be connected in series circuit relationship with the batteries for controlling the value of the potential applied to the conductive base 15 of the flame sustaining member 11. The current drain stops when the flame is out; however so that a switch is not necessary and a variable resistor may not be economically justified so that the current may be varied by varying the number of batteries used. The electrically conductive base 17 of the hollow insulating supporting member 16 is shown as being electrically grounded at 21; however, it is to be understood that the purpose of providing an electrically conductive base portion 17 is to effect an easy grounding of the electrical circuit of the low cost ionizer, and grounding of one end of the series connected batteries 18 could be accomplished readily by other methods. The electric batteries 18 are physically mounted within the hollow interior of the hollow supporting member 16 on a suitable insulating platform indicated at 22 which prevents the batteries from physically moving around within the supporting stand 16. The hollow supporting member 16 also has an indented rim portion indicated at 23 which supports an open ended decorative outer shell 24 which is fabricated from an electrically conductive material, and has an open end portion indicated at 25 that is supported in position over the flame area 14. The outer decorative shell 24 also has a number of openings indicated at 26 located around its lower periphery for supplying combustion air up into the space between the outer decorative shell 24, the supporting stand 16, and the alcohol lamp 11. The outer decorative shell 24 is also electrically interconnected to the electrically conductive flame supporting lamp base 11 through suitable electrically conductive whiskers, one of which is indicated at 27, which do not impede passage of air up past the members, and which serve to electrically interconnect the outer shell 24 and the lamp base 11.

With the above described arrangement, it has been de termined that upon the lamp wick 13 being lit to support a flame at 14, and upon the on-otf switch 20 being closed to apply a negative polarity potential to the lamp base 11, considerable quantities of small negative ions will be repelled from the lamp source out through the open end portion 25 of the outer decorative shell 24. By proper adjustment of the variable resistor 19 or by varying the number of batteries used so as to vary the value of the potential applied to the lamp base 11, it is possible to vary the magnitude of this ion discharge into the space out through the open ended shell portion in a manner indicated by the curve shown in FIGURE 3 of the drawing. From an examination of FIGURE 3, it can be appreciated that if the potential supplied to the lamp base 11 is in the neighborhood of 260 volts, a discharge ion current of approximately 5 10 amperes can be achieved. This ion discharge occurs because the combustion process taking place in the flame source 14 normally will produce considerable quantities of small ions having both positive and negative polarity. By reason of the application of the negative potential to the lamp base 11 and to the outer decorative shell 24, the positive ions produced in the flame 14 will be attracted back to the lamp base or to the decorative shell 24. Conversely, the negative ions will be repelled out through the open end portion 25 of the outer decorative shell, and will result in increasing the number of such negatively charged ions in the atmosphere surrounding the ionizer so that if the lamp is left to burn for a period of time an abundance of such negatively charged ions will be produced in the atmosphere surrounding the low cost ionizer. In this manner, the desirable reaction mentioned in the introductory portions of this specification on individuals in the presence of the ionizer can be achieved. The invention is not restricted to the produc tion of negative ions; however, for by the simple inclusion of a reversing switch the same device could be used to produce an abundance of positive ions, although this is not likely to be done since the reported effect of positive ions is depressing.

A second form of low cost ionizer constructed in accordance with the invention is shown in FIGURE 2 of the drawing. This low cost ionizer comprises essentially a candle 31 having a wick 32 which may be carbon impregnated or otherwise treated to render it electrically conductive. The candle 31 supports a flame indicated at 33 at its end portion in a manner conventional with candles, and is supported within a hollow electrically conductive holder indicated at 34. The electrically conductive holder 34 has an electrically conductive metal base 35 which may be easily grounded as indicated at 36. Supported within the hollow interior of the holder 34 are a plurality of electric batteries 37 which are appropriately supported on an insulating stand 38 which prevents the batteries from moving around within the holder 34. The electric batteries 37 are connected in series electrical relationship between the conductive base 35 of the holder and the electrically conductive wick 32. By this arrangement, a negative electric potential is applied to the wick 32 which will serve to repel away from the region of the flame 33 those negatively charged ions naturally occurring by reason of the combustion process.

From the foregoing description, it can be appreciated that the invention provides a new and improved low cost room ionizer which is quite inexpensive to operate and yet is capable of producing an abundance of small ions in the atmosphere surrounding the ionizer. Having described, therefore, two embodiments of the low cost ionizer constructed in accordance with the invention, it is believed obvious that other modifications and variations of the invention are possible in light of the above teachings. It is, therefore, to be understood that changes may be made in the particular embodiments of the invention described which are within the full intended scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A low cost ionizer comprising a lamp including a flame sustaining member fabricated of an electrically conductive material at least in the part thereof adjacent the flame and adapted to burn a non-noxious fuel, a hollow supporting stand supporting said lamp, means for physically supporting a plurality of electric batteries within the hollow interior of said supporting stand, means for connecting a plurality of electric batteries thus supported in series electrical relationship, means for connecting one terminal of such series connected and physically supported electric batteries to at least said electrically conductive material adjacent the flame of said lamp, and means for electrically grounding the remaining terminal of such series connected and physically supported electric batteries.

2. An article of manufacture comprising a candle having an electrically conductive wick, a candle holder supporting said candle and having a hollow interior, means for physically supporting a plurality of electric batteries within the hollow interior of said candle holder, means for connecting a plurality of electric batteries thus sup- 7 ported in series electric circuit relationship, means for connecting one terminal of such series connected and physically supported electric batteries to said electrically conductive wick, and means for electrically grounding the remaining terminal of such series connected and physically supported electric batteries.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS OTHER REFERENCES Radio-Electronics, Air Ionizers by McKay, pages 32 and 33, July 1960.

Elements of Physics (Smith), by McGraw-Hill (New York) (1948), page 475 relied on. 

1. A LOW COST IONIZER COMPRISING A LAMP INCLUDING A FLAME SUSTAINING MEMBER FABRICATED OF AN ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE MATERIAL AT LEAST IN THE PART THEREOF ADJACENT THE FLAME AND ADAPTED TO BURN A NON-NOXIOUS FUEL, A HOLLOW SUPPORTING STAND SUPPORTING SAID LAMP, MEANS FOR PHYSICALLY SUPPORTING A PLURALITY OF ELECTRIC BATTERIES WITHIN THE HOLLOW INTERIOR OF SAID SUPPORTING STAND, MEANS FOR CONNECTING A PLURALITY OF ELECTRIC BATTERIES THUS SUPPORTED IN SERIES ELECTRICAL RELATIONSHIP, MEANS FOR CONNECTING ONE TERMINAL OF SUCH SERIES CONNECTED AND PHYSICALLY SUPPORTED ELECTRIC BATTERIES TO AT LEAST SAID ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE MATERIAL ADJACENT THE FLAME OF SAID LAMP, AND MEANS FOR ELECTRICALLY GROUNDING THE REMAINING TERMINAL OF SUCH SERIES CONNECTED AND PHYSICALLY SUPPORTED ELECTRIC BATTERIES. 